A scathing report is accusing West New York Mayor Dr. Felix Roque and allies in the school district of controlling hirings, firings and demotions; and he strong-armed employees to purchase $2,000 tickets to his political fundraiser.

The 23-page state Department of Education report, issued on April 19 and posted on the West New York school district's website this morning, calls for a public Board of Education meeting within 30 days to discuss the report and a corrective action plan to be completed within 30 days of the public meeting.

"It's a very good report, very thorough," said district Superintendent John Fauta, who declined to comment further until after presenting the report at the board meeting.

Roque declined to comment on the report, but his spokesman, Pablo Fonseco, called the report "a bunch of allegations" that are not true.

"Mayor Roque has no control over the Board of Education," Fonseca said.

The DOE is forwarding the report and its findings to the state Attorney General's Office and the Department of Community Affairs for review, according to the complaint.

The DOE's Office of Fiscal Accountability and Compliance (OFAC) began its investigation in July 2012 after being alerted by the FBI -- which was investigating Roque on a separate matter -- to concerns of inappropriate political involvement in the hiring practices in the district.

Perhaps the most telling of the DOE's claims of political involvement in the district is the hiring of town Commissioner Reuben Vargas in December 2011, six months after Roque and the new commissioners took office.

Vargas was hired as an assistant to the supervisor of transportation at $40,000 per year, but when asked by DOE investigators Vargas could not describe his job responsibilities and his hours of employment, according to the report. Furthermore, Vargas met few, if any, of the qualifications for the job.

The report said Vargas told investigators that he does not have a high school diploma or GED, is not computer literate, has no prior experience needed for the position and he could not identify any skill or experience that would support his hiring. Superintendent John Fauta told investigators he hired Vargas because he felt that if he did not hire the commissioner, it would become extremely difficult to properly manage the district, according to the report.

The report says Roque manipulated the hirings, firings, demotions and promotions through intermediaries like Clara Brito-Herrera, the assistant superintendent for educational and personnel services and Allan Roth, the assistant to the director of special education.

Calls to Vargas, Brito-Herrera and Roth were not immediately returned.

"The mayor had nothing to do with people being hired and fired," Fonseca said. "At the end of the day, the guy that signs off on all the hirings is the superintendent."

According to the report, former Memorial High Principal Scott Cannao was demoted to assistant principal after he declined to buy a $2,000 ticket to a fund-raising event for the mayor.

The report also states that teachers and district staff complained to Fauta, the superintendent, that they were being solicited by buy tickets during school hours and on school ground, which is not allowed.